William harvey



(No Model.)

W. HARVEY. CARPET STRETGH'ER.

Patented June 6, 1893.

Suva/wind 351 flttozmu UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM HARVEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CARPET-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,977, dated June 6, 1893.

Application filed September 3, 1892. Serial No. 445,010. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HARVEY, of Indianapolis, county'of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oarpet-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet stretchers, and will appear more fully from the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my carpet stretcher after it has grasped the carpet. Fig. 2 represents the same in the process of grasping the carpet, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts after the jaws have closed upon the carpet. Fig. 3 represents the same in the latter part of its. movement.

In detail, 1 represents a carpet.

2 is a foot piece having a spur 3 under its rear end, and pivoted at4 to the bent lever 5. This bent lever is pivoted at 6 to another bent lever 7, so that the two will operate in different directions.

8 and 9 are jaws of the levers, which have smooth edges 10, and a few spurs 11 set at some distance back from the front edges of the jaws.

12 is a handle connected with the bent 1evor 7.

The operation of my carpet stretcher is as follows: The stretcher is placed so that the jaw 9 will go under the carpet I to be stretched, in the position shown in the heavy lines in Fig. 2. The foot is then placed upon the foot piece 2, driving the spur3 into the floor, which prevents the stretcher from slipping. The handle is then drawn slightly forward and upward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which will cause the jaws 8 and 9 to close upon the carpet, the teeth 11 preventing it from slipping in the beginning of the operation of stretching. The handle 12 is then drawn backward, as shown in Fig. 1. As it is drawn backward, the bent lever 5 turns upon the pivot 4, causing the front edges of the jaws to move from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. As the handle is operated and the tension of the carpet is increased, the jaws will clamp tightly together. The front edges of the jaws are made smooth and meet so that after the operation of the stretcher has commenced the jaws will close tighter and tighter upon the carpet as the operation continues and the carpet will be held more by the front edges of the jaws than by the spurs. By this means, as the tension increases, the carpet is not liable to be torn by the teeth, but instead is held by the smooth front edges of the jaws, which hold it tighter and tighter as the handle is drawn farther backward. It will thus be seen that my carpet stretcher is a simple device, easily handled and operated,

and stretches the carpet quickly and without tearing it in any way.

The foot, after the spur on the foot piece is pressed down into the floor, can be removed, if desired, as the pressure of the stretcher down upon the other end of the foot piece will hold it down to the floor, and the spur 3 will prevent its slipping. The spur can be located elsewhere under the foot piece, if desired, than at the rear end. The length of the jaws and levers, and points of pivoting the same can be altered to suit the person using the stretcher. The bent lever 5 can be attached to the foot piece 2 by a link instead of a pivot, if desired, but such an arrangement will not operate as well as that shown and described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In acarpet stretcher, broad jaws adapted to grasp a carpet, such jaws being curved to meet each other and having smooth edges and spurs set back from such edges and adapted to pierce the carpet when the jaws are closed, substantially as described.

2. In a carpet stretcher, a combination of two jaws adapted to grasp a carpet, such jaws formed on pivoted levers crossing each other, the lever on which the lower jaw is formed being extended to form a handle, and means for holding the lever on which the upperjaw is formed to the floor, substantially as described.

3. In a carpet stretcher, the combination of two broad jaws adapted to grasp a carpet, such jaws being curved to meet each other and having smooth edges, and spurs set back from such edges and adapted to pierce a carpet when the jaws are closed, such jaws formed on pivoted levers crossing each other, the 1ever on which thelower jaw is formed extended to form a handle and means for holding the lever on which the upper jaw is formed to the floor, substantially as described.

5 4:. A carpet stretcher consisting of a foot piece provided with spurs under the same, two broad jaws adapted to grasp a carpet, such jaws being curved to meet each other and having smooth edges, and spurs set back from such edges and adapted to pierce a carpet when the jaws are closed, such jaws formed 

